Only a few hours south of Bangkok, Cha Am is primarily a weekend beach destination for Thais. However, foreigners, especially European expats, have also discovered the charms of Cha Am’s mile-long whitesand beaches and inexpensive fresh seafood, and middle-aged Norwegians, Germans, and Danes have a particularly visible high-season presence. With flamboyantly painted tour buses from Bangkok driving into town, spirit houses tucked into the trees that line the beach, and Thai rock bands performing at night, Cha Am has a more authentic atmosphere than many of the beaches farther south. Come Monday, though, you and the stray dogs will likely have the beach all to yourselves.
The Cha Am Train Station, at the west end of Narathip Rd. 2km from the beach, has trains to Bangkok (3hr.; 2:30, 3:20, 7:05, 11:50am, and 2:25pm; 40-90฿) and Chumphon (4hr.; 2 per day 12:35, 7:43pm; 53฿). The best place to catch a bus out of town is on Phetkasem Hwy., just south of Narathip Rd., in front of the 7-Eleven, where there’s a small sign that says “bus stop.” Regular and A/C buses stop here on the way to Hua Hin (30min., every 20min., 25฿) and Bangkok (3hr., every 20-45min., 171฿). To get to Phetchaburi, take a Bangkok-bound bus (40min., 40-50฿). A/C buses for Hua Hin and Bangkok also leave from the station on Soi 1 of Chaolai Rd., one short block south of the intersection of Chaolai and Narathip Rd. Note that only buses whose origin or terminus is Cha Am stop here, so the frequency of service is relatively low. For example, only 3 buses a day go from Cha Am to Bangkok.
Motorcycle taxis will take you from the town center to any destination in the city for 20-30฿. A surplus of outfits along Ruamchit Rd., almost one per block, rent bicycles, many sporting a Hello Kitty theme (20฿ per hr.), and motorbikes (100฿ per hr.). Motorbike rental requires a passport deposit.
Ruamchit Road, home to most of the hotels and restaurants in town, runs north-south adjacent to the beach; when you’re going north, the beach is on your right. The area of Ruamchit Rd. that is most populated by tourists is Long Beach, which is about 1km north of Narathip Road. Running parallel to Ruamchit Rd, Chao Lai Road is a food and lodging center, particularly in the area south of Narathip Road. Narathip Rd. meets Ruamchit Rd. in the middle of Cha Am Beach and leads to Phetkasem Highway and the train station. For more information on the city, accommodations, and nearby sights see www.chaambeach.com.
Accommodations in Cha Am fall into two categories: mid-range hotels and exorbitant luxury resorts. Within each price range, establishments tend to cater either to Thai or to foreign tourists. On Ruamchit Rd., south of Narathip Rd., most hotels are primarily Thai; farang hotels and restaurants cluster farther north near Long Beach.
The best thing to eat in Cha Am is seafood, and the best place to eat it is by the sea, where beachside vendors sell fresh, cheap snack-sized portions (see Cha Am Chow Down). Arrive at the fishing pier before 7am to watch the day’s haul come in and have fish cooked to order for 20-60฿. The pier is located on the north end of town, past Wat Neranchama. Many of Cha Am’s food falls into two price ranges: on the beach, vendors offer 35฿ skewers, while on the other side of Ruamchit Rd., restaurants charge 200-400฿ for seafood dishes. Either way, the food is likely to be fresh and delicious.
The mile-long stretch of sand that makes up Hat Cha Am (Cha Am Beach) is clean, white, and wide. During the week, when the town is deserted, you need only compete with dogs for control of the beach. On weekends, even in high season, the lovely stretch of beach north of the main strip, near Wat Neramchara, remains refreshingly uncrowded.
There are a number of ways to enjoy the surf and sand. Beach chairs (20฿ per hr.) line the sand. Just find one and sit, and its owner will come find you to collect the rental fee. Banana boats (500-600฿ per hr.) and ponies (200฿ per 30min.) are also available all over the shore.
If you’ve rented a bike or motorcycle and are wondering where to go, or are looking to take a nice stroll, head north to find traces of the fishing village that preceded the beach resort. At the northern end of Ruamchit Rd., Wat Neramchara is home to an unusually large, white, Chinese-style Buddha statue. On the right approaching the wat the manicured grounds of the Monument of King Naresuan the Great make for a nice picnic spot.
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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